Golf on Long Island

2016 Summer Golf Camps on Long Island

[Looking for this year's camp info?  See the Guide to 2024 Summer Golf Camps on Long Island.]

Old Man Winter was kind to Long Islanders this past offseason, giving experienced golfers the opportunity to take their up-and-coming junior players onto quiet courses and offer them some valuable (and maybe a few forgettable) pointers to keep in mind through a lifetime in the sport.  With the spring season upon us, it's time to look ahead to the summer, when you can send the kids off for a few hours and leave the teaching to the pros around the Island.

Many public courses in Nassau and Suffolk feature summer camp programs that school young players in golf's key fundamentals and the various types of swings and strokes, as well as rules, etiquette and safety on the course.  They typically offer programs for both beginners and experienced players, and in some cases, kids work closely with teaching pros who've been recognized nationally for their work as golf and junior-golf instructors.  At the end of each session, campers leave with skills and knowledge in place for years of enjoyable experiences on the course.

The following is a general overview of 2016 summer golf camps available and open for registration at various public courses around Long Island.   For more information, follow the links below to the course websites and junior camp pages. 

(Please note this is not a complete list of Long Island summer golf camps.  If courses or facilities in your area are not included here, contact them directly to learn about any available camps, clinics and instructional programs.)

Bergen Point (West Babylon):  Two camp sessions are open to golfers of all skill levels from age 7 to 17.  Attendees will be divided into groups based on age and experience.  Camp meets once a week (for four weeks) from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with lunch included.  Call (631) 600-3781 or visit the pro shop to register.

Cedars Golf Club (Cutchogue):  The Cutchogue course offers two separate sessions in July (7/6 to 8/1) and August (8/3 to 8/29).  Campers meet Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, with times varied by age group.  Juniors age 10 and under receive group instruction and on-course play, plus contests and prizes.  Those in the 11-and-over group receive 30 minutes of private instruction each week in addition to on-course play and group work.  Cost is $525 per four-week session (10 and under); $600 per four-week session (11 and over).  Registration for full sessions includes free rounds at the course valid during the season.  Extended instruction is available for additional cost.  Call (631) 734-6363 or e-mail [email protected] to register or for full details.

Cherry Creek (Riverhead):  Summer camps are run by PGA apprentice Drew Dallanegra and LPGA teaching pro Suzi Caprise.  Campers age 7 to 11 will meet on six dates between July 6 and July 20; campers age 12 to 16 will meet on six dates between August 1 and August 15.  Both sessions meet from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.  Instruction covers aspects of the golf swing as well as rules, player safety and on-course play.  Cost is $300 per student.  Call Cherry Creek at (631) 369-6500 or visit the course's junior golf page for the latest information.

Dix Hills Park (Dix Hills):  The Basic Program is open to junior players from age 6 to 14 with limited or no golf experience.  The program stresses safety, rules and etiquette through games and contests in a fun atmosphere.  Club Division is open to boys and girls who are ready for on-course instruction and play.  Campers in this program receive advanced instruction and are introduced to various competition formats.  Separate six-week Basic sessions take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays beginning July 12.  (Club camps meet on Thursdays only starting July 14.)  Cost is $325 (Basic)/$350 (Club).  Call (631) 499-8005 to register or for additional camp information.

Glen Cove Golf Club:  Weekly sessions run from late June through the month of August.  Camps meet Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m and cover the full swing, pitching, chipping, putting, rules and etiquette.  Cost per camper is $350.  Call (516) 671-0033 to register.

Gold Coast Golf Center at the Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course (Woodbury):  Gold Coast offers a variety of junior programs, from half-day and full-day sessions to travel programs for advanced/competitive players.  Call (516) 682-4776 for this year's offerings.

Great Rock Golf Club (Wading River):  Half-day camps (age 6 to 12) and full-day camps (age 10 to 17) are open to boys and girls starting the week of June 27.  All sessions are Monday to Thursday.  The half-day camp runs from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. and is geared to beginners; full-day camp is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and focuses on fine-tuning skills of experienced players.  Instruction in both programs covers safety, rules and etiquette, as well as contests and prizes.  All campers receive a hat, shirt and sleeve of balls.  Cost is $295 for the half-day camp and $495 for full-day.  Call (631) 886-2700 to register or for specific schedule and program information.

Harbor Links Golf Course (Port Washington):  All camps begin the week of June 27.  Weekly programs for kids age 6 to 9 run Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and include games and drills that help develop important skills and fundamentals, in addition to a skills competition and gift packet.  Separate programs for teens age 10 to 16 are split into four-hour AM and PM sessions and run Monday to Friday.  These cover the full swing, short game, course management, rules and etiquette, and conclude with a two-day "Junior Scramble" team tournament.  Cost is $495 for the 6-9 camp and $595 for the 10-16 camp.  Weekly sessions are offered through August.  For all program information, schedules and registration forms, visit the Harbor Links website.

Indian Island Country Club (Riverhead):  Now in its 15th year, Indian Island golf camp consists of week-long sessions that include lessons, lunch, prizes, skills contests and on-course competition.  Camps are open to boys and girls of all skill levels between the ages of 7 and 16.  Fees are $525 per week, per camper, with family, returnee and multi-week discounts available.  Week-long sessions begin June 27 and continue until Labor Day weekend.  See the Indian Island camp brochure for all details.

Island's End Golf & Country Club (Greenport):  Week-long sessions begin July 11 and are open to intermediate and advanced junior golfers.  There are seven total sessions in July and August.  Programs run Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., with an extra hour on Friday for on-course instruction.  Cost is $250 for each week-long session.  Beginner golf clinics are also available starting on June 30 for all golfers age 5 and up.  Visit the Island's End website for more information.

Long Island Golf Camps / Mike Reilly Golf Academy (Massapequa, Babylon, Hauppauge):  Long Island Golf Camps runs programs at three public courses -- Peninsula Golf Club (Massapequa), Sumpwams Creek/E. Donald Conroy Golf Course (Babylon) and Wind Watch Golf & Country Club (Hauppauge).  The Peninsula and Wind Watch camps are week-long, full-day programs (9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) with sessions beginning June 27.  They include instruction on different aspects of the swing, on-course play and daily lunch.  Babylon camps run Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; afternoon sessions might be available based on demand.  Instruction takes place on the course and in the short-game area.  Enrollment is $595 for Peninsula, $605 for Wind Watch and $249 for Babylon.  For schedules and registration, and for information on a fourth camp program held at the private Colonial Springs Golf Club in East Farmingdale, visit the Long Island Golf Camps website.

Mill Pond (Medford):  Camps are available in 3-day and 5-day sessions beginning in early July.  The shorter programs are beginner-oriented with a focus on fundamentals for new players.  Juniors with some playing experience will receive instruction on course management, rules and etiquette.  Week-long programs are geared to more experienced juniors, with on-course instruction included during the last two days.  (On-course play will be held at Rolling Oaks in Miller Place.)  Beginning August 4, additional high school development camps are available for experienced golfers age 12 to 17 looking to advance their game on a competitive level.  Visit the Mill Pond website or call (631) 732-8249 for info on registration, pricing, schedules and program format.

Poxabogue Golf Center (Sagaponack):  A total of nine sessions run from the week of July 4 to the week of August 29.  Sessions are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 noon, and are open to boys and girls from age 7 to 16.  Campers will learn basics of the full swing, short game, course management, rules and etiquette, and will receive a hat, snacks and giveaways.  Cost is $459 per session.  Visit the Poxabogue website for details.

Smithtown Landing Country Club (Smithtown):  Camp programs led by PGA professional and Hall of Famer Michael Hebron begin June 27.  Campers meet once a week on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays and are open to boys and girls age 6 to 14.  Instruction covers grip, swing, putting, chipping, pitching, rules and etiquette.  Call (631) 979-6534 to register.

Spring Lake Golf Club (Middle Island):  Four-day camps will take place July 26-29 (age 11 to 14) and August 2-5 (age 7 to 10).  Camps meet from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with lunch and on-course play every afternoon.  Cost is $229.  Contact Spring Lake pro Cristy Jurgens at (631) 924-5115.

Stonebridge Golf Links (Hauppauge):  Full- and half-day programs are available for beginners through intermediate players.  Half-day sessions (9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.) are geared to beginners age 6 to 9 and focus on fundamentals, rules, etiquette and course/club basics.  Full-day camps (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) help experienced players age 10 and up improve on skills and knowledge through on-course play and instruction.  An August camp for players on or trying out for school teams is designed for advanced instruction and includes 18 holes of golf daily and video analysis.  Cost is $210 for half day, $365 for full day and $499 for school team.  All campers receive a Nike sports bag and water bottle.  Call (631) 724-7500 for session schedules and registration info.

Timber Point (Great River): The six-week Basic Program is designed for new players from age 7 to 10, and focuses on fundamentals, safety, rules and etiquette through fun games and contests.  Separate Wednesday and Thursday sessions begin on June 29/30 and meet weekly through the first week of August.  Fee is $250.  Call (631) 581-2401 or see the camp sign-up form for price, schedule and registration information.

West Sayville Golf Course (West Sayville):  A total of six week-long programs (Tuesday to Saturday, four hours per day) will be offered beginning on July 12.  Campers receive instruction on and off the course, with lessons concentrating on all aspects of the swing, including grip, stance and alignment.  The Saturday session consists of nine-hole play, an awards ceremony and pizza party.  The $400 fee also includes shirt, hat and rule book.  Multi-week discounts are available.  Visit the course website and download the camp registration form for more information.

Tallgrass Golf Course likely to close in April

[UPDATE, May 19:  Tallgrass will remain open through the summer, according to Newsday's Mark Herrmann.]

[UPDATE, April 9:  Tallgrass has advised holders of gift cards to redeem them for golf, food and merchandise as soon as possible while the course is still open for business.]

The ongoing saga in Shoreham regarding the future of Tallgrass Golf Course is nearing its conclusion, and the ending doesn't appear to be a happy one for Long Island and East End golfers. 

Tallgrass, the Gil Hanse layout recently named by Golfweek as one of the best publicly accessible golf courses in New York State, is likely to close for business sometime in April.  The property's future is in solar energy -- a development called Shoreham Solar Commons, run by Chicago-based Invenergy, will level the land and cover it with tens of thousands of solar panels.

A Tallgrass employee confirmed that rumors of the course's closing are "correct."  The Shoreham course will likely host its final round sometime in April, with a possible end date as early as the beginning of the month.

Rumblings about the course's potential development have circulated for several seasons, but talk of its replacement by a solar farm began to heat up last summer when Shoreham Solar Commons filed detailed site plans with the Town of Brookhaven.  Tallgrass remained confident as recently as January that the development threat would pass by, at least for the 2016 season.  Shoreham residents and the local civic organization spoke out against the development at a Brookhaven Planning Board meeting in January.

Earlier this month, however, Brookhaven approved the plans and special permits associated with the solar development.

Tallgrass opened in 2000 in the midst of Long Island's most recent golf-course boom, a high time that introduced new courses like Long Island National, The Links at Shirley, Stonebridge and Great Rock, among others, during a busy three-year stretch.  Gil Hanse, whose recent work includes the new 2016 Olympic course in Brazil, designed the course on a former sod farm. 

In 2010, following years of similar development rumors that swirled around the course (Tallgrass "is here to stay" read course ads in 2008), new management came on board and stabilized its future.  That year, Tallgrass began a seven-year run on Golfweek's "Best Courses You Can Play" list.  At the time, Newsday's Mark Herrmann contrasted the fall of The Links at Shirley with the boom at Tallgrass.

Now, eight years after proclaiming it's here to stay, Tallgrass will soon be gone.

Bethpage Black to reopen April 16

The Black Course at Bethpage State Park will open for the 2016 season on Saturday, April 16.  The season will be an eventful one at Long Island's premier public facility, with The Barclays drawing the world's best golfers back to Bethpage in August.

Next door, the Red Course will make its 2016 debut on Friday, March 25.  Bethpage Green will reopen this weekend on March 19.

For more on the Bethpage courses, including the Yellow and Blue, check out the course flyovers at the above links.

St. Patrick's Day special at Lido Golf Club

Waterside golf and an Irish buffet are on the slate at Lido Golf Club to celebrate St. Patrick's Day 2016. 

Lido is offering a holiday special on Thursday, March 17 -- for $65, players take on 18 wind-swept holes with motor cart, then warm back up with some hearty Irish cooking and a complimentary pint.  Call Lido at (516) 889-8181 to reserve a tee time.

For more on Lido, check out the course flyover.

Brookhaven Town Planning Board approves special permit for Shoreham Solar Commons on Tallgrass site

[UPDATE, May 19:  Tallgrass will remain open through the summer of 2016, according to Newsday's Mark Herrmann.]

The Town of Brookhaven's Planning Board approved the special-permit application for Shoreham Solar Commons, a 110,000-panel solar farm planned for the Tallgrass Golf Course site.  The board listened to a presentation by representatives of the solar development in January, along with arguments by supporters and opponents, before unanimously approving the application in its March 7 meeting.

What's next for Tallgrass and Shoreham Solar Commons is not immediately clear.  Earlier this winter, Tallgrass management remained confident the 2016 season would not be impacted by the looming development threat.  (The course even overhauled its website in February.)  Tallgrass has been accepting 2016 tee-time memberships through the offseason.

The approval comes less than a week after Tallgrass was named one of the Best Courses You Can Play by Golfweek for the seventh consecutive year.

Details will be added as they become available.

Holiday golf and Irish buffet at Crab Meadow on St. Patrick's Day

Golfers interested in chasing 18 holes of golf with a little corned beef and cabbage have a number of options on St. Patrick's Day, one of which is up near the water in Northport.  Crab Meadow Golf Course will host a holiday outing complete with Irish eats on March 17.  Shotgun start is slated for 11:00 a.m.

Entry fee is $75 per player.  Following golf on Crab Meadow's hilly, scenic course, participants can indulge in a buffet of corned beef and cabbage, beer-braised stew and other Irish fare.  Prizes will be awarded for on-course accomplishments as well.

Call (631) 757-8700 to reserve a spot in the holiday event.  For more information on Crab Meadow, check out the course flyover.

Riverhead Golf Tour Card available for discount rounds at Great Rock and Rock Hill

The Riverhead Chamber of Commerce announced last week that 2016 Golf Tour Cards are available for purchase, allowing area golfers to play multiple rounds at a significant discount.  This year's Tour Card program includes eight total rounds for $230.

Great Rock Golf Club in Wading River and Rock Hill Golf & Country Club in Manorville are this year's participating courses.  The prepaid Golf Tour Card is valid for up to four rounds at each course, with cart included.  With the card, cost per round is less than $30.  Restrictions apply at each course.

Golfers can purchase Tour Cards at the Chamber of Commerce office at 59 E. Main St., Riverhead, on Wednesdays and Fridays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  Cards are also available at Main Street Haircutters For Men, 36 W. Main St., Riverhead.   

Call the Riverhead Chamber office at (631) 727-7600 or e-mail [email protected] for more information about the program.  And for more information on this year's participating courses, click on the above links.

[PICTURED: Great Rock's downhill par-3 ninth.]

St. Patrick's Day Golf Classic at Mill Pond

Mill Pond Golf Course in Medford will celebrate the arrival of St. Patrick's Day and the spring golf season with a holiday golf outing and Irish buffet on March 17.  Registration is open for the annual event, which is scheduled to tee off at 10:00 a.m.

Four-person scramble teams will battle for a number of prizes, including goodies for the top-3 finishers and winners of close-to-pin and long-drive contests.  Check-in and open range time begins at 9 a.m.  After the scramble, a hot Irish buffet and open bar will be available until 4:30.  Entry fee is $74 per player. 

Mill Pond events typically fill up quickly, so register for the early-season scramble (pre-payment required) by visiting the Medford course or by calling (631) 732-8249 x105.  In the event of inclement weather, all registrants will be issued a full refund. 

For more information on Mill Pond, check out the course flyover.

Golfweek ranks Bethpage, Tallgrass, Montauk among Best Courses You Can Play in 2016

Golfweek released its 2016 Best Courses You Can Play list this week, though for followers interested in seeing what Long Island golf courses made the cut, the mag might as well have reprinted last year's list, or 2014's, or 2013's... 

It's now seven straight years that the vaunted foursome of Bethpage Black, Bethpage Red, Tallgrass and Montauk Downs represents Long Island in Golfweek's annual ranking of New York State's publicly accessible courses, led of course by Bethpage Black, which bagged a #22 ranking on the Classic Courses list, also released on the magazine's website on Tuesday.

Bethpage Red jumped one spot to #5, while Shoreham's Tallgrass Golf Course and the renowned Montauk Downs dropped to #12 and #14, respectively. 

While the future is bright for the New York State-operated courses at Bethpage and Montauk Downs, Golfweek's rankings arrive just a few days before a decision is made on Tallgrass's presence on Suffolk's north shore.  Tallgrass remains on the list despite the looming threat of its destruction and repurposing into a Shoreham solar farm.  The Brookhaven Planning Board is scheduled to address the course's future next week on March 7.

Golfweek's Classic Courses list ranks the top 200 American courses built prior to 1960.  At #22, Bethpage Black finished behind three Long Island clubs, all of which ranked in the top 10 -- Shinnecock Hills, National Golf Links and Fishers Island Golf Club.  

For more on all four courses, including Closer Looks at Tallgrass #8 and Red #13, check out the course flyovers via the above links.

[PICTURED: The par-3 12th at Montauk Downs]

Early Bird Discount available for Golfing Magazine's 2016 Free Golf Program

Golfing Magazine's annual Free Golf Program is back in 2016, and so is its Early Bird Special.  From now through April, Long Island golfers can subscribe and receive a season's worth of free green fees for the cost of lunch and a few range tokens.

As part of the mag's Early Bird Special, participants in the Free Golf Program receive a one-year subscription to the Hicksville-based magazine, as well as a certificate that entitles holders to discount golf at nearly a dozen Long Island courses, for $39.  Starting May 1, the subscription rises to the standard $49 rate.

The 2015 program included nine courses -- Brentwood Country Club, Cherry Creek's Woods Course, Glen Cove, Gull Haven, Holbrook Country Club, Island's End, Poxabogue, Tallgrass and Middle Bay.

Once the courses for the 2016 program are set, a certificate is sent to each subscriber, valid for a single use at each of the participating facilities.  Only a cart fee is due on the day of play (other terms and restrictions may apply). 

The certificate also gives subscribers the opportunity to sample golf courses around the Northeast.  It is valid at dozens of courses across upstate New York and New England.  A full list of courses on and off Long Island will be available when the program officially tees off in May.  Certificates are valid until the end of the year.

Visit the Golfing Magazine website or call (516) 822-5446 to sign up.